Speak for Humanity: One Billion Rising - Dance-A-Thon!

Valentine's Day is a day of love, passion, compassion and kindness. While most people insist this means red roses, teddy bears and romantic dinners, in 2013 this is hardly a way to celebrate. Look, we live in a day and time where the world has become harder to live in. In fact, forget harder, it's become dangerous to live in this world. Over the last week, I've sat with myself and fought with myself over why the world has become this way. Wars, rape, murders; it doesn't seem to end. So really, where is the love? Why is it we can't find it in ourselves to display and show T.L.C. for one another? Why do we insist on hurting one another. No. I refuse to believe that this world is devoid of love. I will not live in a world where love doesn't exist. And thus, on February 14th, an international day of love, I will go out, a single woman in Hong Kong and dance my way into a new world.

Speak for Humanity, an organization dedicated to the betterment of the world, has joined with a global project known as The One Billion Rising Movement. As an organization, Speak for Humanity has a number of objectives that it supports. These include:
- Raising awareness about issues of global concern
- Serving as a platform for dialogue and engagement
- Serving as an interface to connect global actors striving for change

It's motto, "Injustice Anywhere is Injustice Everywhere," speaks for the extent to which the organization wishes to make a change. The Dance-a-thon will be one of several events which will serve as a launchpad for the organization.


The purpose of the Dance-a-thon is to bring about equality and safety to women all over the world through workshops and various methods including the February 14th, Dance-a-thon. More details are available on the Facebook page and website but this is your chance to change the face of how women in the world. As citizens of the modern world, it is our responsibility to decide how women are treated now and in the future.

Speak out and dance it out, this February 14th at Statue Square from 8 PM to 10 PM. Bring your friends, your valentine, your family, the women in your life.

This is Valentine's Day, make it one with a difference.

'The Obnoxious Case of the Incredible Indian Men'

I’m convinced that many Indian men in power, i.e. political and religious leaders, do not have a connection between their brain and mouth. They lack sensitivity and are clearly living in an 1823 bubble which is the only explainable reason for their ignorance and their backward mentality. How else would you explain the nonsense they have been uttering over the past few weeks regarding Delhi rape case which has left India and the international community shocked?

It all began with the President’s son who decided to call the women protesting ‘highly dented and painted’. For starters, that hardly makes sense. I’m assuming this figure of speech is normally used for vehicles. I think. But what exactly is a ‘dented’ and ‘painted’ woman? If I try to make sense of his statement, I’m gonna go with the fact that’s he is a male chauvinist who cannot fathom the fact that modern Indian women are no longer ready to stay repressed and thus, are coming out by the hundreds to stand up for their gender. He is yet one of those outdated men who believe that Indian women should shut up and stay at home. Too bad his sister couldn’t be one of those women; she happens to be a dancer.

Next up was Mr. Mohan Bhagwat, an RSS leader, who decided that in his demented jaded head that rapes only happen in India and not in Bharat. Are you confused yet? Don’t worry, I’m as muddled. What I think he was getting at is that ‘India’ refers to the more urban areas while ‘Bharat’ is the rural parts. This basically infers that rapes only happen in cities and not in villages or less developed areas. Errr, really? Here’s some trivia, just for Mr. Bhagwat. Seventy-five percent of rape cases have been reported from rural India.

Then there is the great Asaram Bapu—I had no clue who on earth he was until he stated that the victim was as guilty as the rapists. His theory was that the victim should have begged and not fought back. If she would have called them her ‘brothers’, they would have not raped her. Yes, when this poor was getting raped and stripped of her dignity, she should have done just this. Mind you this is coming from a man who also claims women should be restricted to home chores and is against the westernization of Indian society. The bigger question here is would he tell the ladies in his own family to fall at the feet of rapists and call them their brothers too?

And this is just two of many absurd theories, comments and statements that have come from a number of well-known leaders across many arenas in Indian political and religious groups. 

What is most irritating about the fact that these religious leaders and politicians are politicizing the issue with their backward statements, is that a bulk of India actually supports these people and thoughts. They do not feel the need for these men to apologize for their insensitivity. This theoretically means that this rigid mindset has already been set set in stone and so such beliefs will fall to their children and so on. Ultimately, this starts a domino effect that cannot be eradicated at all. Such outrageous and demeaning comments only further these old-fashioned and incorrect beliefs which do nothing but encourage more men to ill-treat women. Instead of preaching to the men to realize that women are their equals and cannot be looked down upon, they choose to further promote atrocities against women in India.

All of a sudden, the road to liberating women in India seems long and rocky filled with potholes in the form of men like the above, who simply cannot see past the old school depiction of Indian women. One can only hope the likes of Mata Lakshmi, Durga Maa and all the female goddesses up there, give strength to the women of India as they take on this battle to secure themselves and the future of Indian women.

Oh and before I end, there is also one more idiot—a minister from Chhatigarh, who claims that there is no ‘clear answer’ for the crimes against women and thus, it is because ‘the stars are not in position’. Right.